The Unique Nintendo Wii Controller
Thursday, July 2nd, 2009
The wireless freehand controller used by the Nintendo Wii is unlike any other video game controller on the market today. This controller’s features not only makes games easy to play, but also makes them more fun than ever before.
The Wii Remote was first announced in 2005 at the Tokyo Game Show. The Wii-mote, as it is sometimes known, is the primary controller for Nintendo’s Wii console. A main feature of the Wii-mote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with games and manipulate items via gesture recognition and pointing through the use of accelerometer and optical sensor technology. Another Wii-mote feature is its expandability through the use of attachments.
One attachment, the Nunchuk, complements the Wii-mote with its analog stick control and trigger buttons which provide functions similar to those in gamepad controllers.
Nintendo has also developed a Classic Controller, which plugs into the Wii-mote in a similar fashion as the Nunchuck. However, this Classic Controller can not be used to play backward-compatible GameCube games, but only games that are available for the Nintendo Virtual Console. If you want to play GameCube games on your Wii, it is possible to use a regular GameCube controller, which will also work for most Virtual Console games.
The Wii Zapper is a gun-style attachment for the Wii-mote. This peripheral works well with games like Legend of Zelda, Medal of Honor, Call of Duty, and Resident Evil.
A Wii Wheel peripheral is available for driving games such as Mario Kart, and makes these types of games much more fun and easy to operate.
Overall opinions of the Wii Remote have changed over time. While the controller was initially met with praise, complaints have also been noted regarding the Wii-mote and it’s game control. Regardless of its potential shortcomings, the Wii Remote and Nunchuck combined have sold over 8.5 milllion units in the United States.